Of Interest

Some readers doubted whether or not there were enough high quality applicants (currently) rejected by Williams who could be admitted as part of this plan. Allay those fears! There are hundreds of rejected AR 1s (and even more AR 2s) who would love to attend Williams if we were to accept them. Evidence:

The admission staff wait-listed or rejected nearly 300 of the 675 applicants to whom they had given their top “Academic 1” rating — a pool of students that, on average, ranked in the top 3 percent of their high school classes and had SAT scores of 1545.

Note Adam Falk’s report that, in the fall of 2013, Williams received more than 1,200 applications from students with academic ratings of 2. Since Williams accepts many fewer than 1,000 students in total from this bucket, there must also be hundreds of AR 2s who are rejected.

Amherst, to its credit, is much more transparent with its admissions data. Consider:

Amherst admissions are not Williams admissions and SAT verbal scores are not the same thing as academic ratings. But, if there are almost 2,000 students with 700 and above verbal SAT scores who are rejected by Amherst, then there must be at least a few hundred AR 1 students rejected by Williams.

3 Responses to “There are Hundreds of Rejected AR 1s”

anon says:

The assumption of the hypothesis is absurd not only in regards to the opposition well stated by this article- but also by the basic and fundamental flaw with the hypothesis itself.

Just because you admit, that does not mean that those you admit will matriculate. Williams chooses students who want to attend. A lot of AR1’s are going to go to other schools. The admissions department knows this. Why make an offer to someone who is using you as a safety?

You could admit simply by SAT scores. Start at the top and stop when you reach “the number.”

What number would that be?

How many would choose Williams?

The rather naive and bold assumption is that Williams is so “great” (whatever that means??) that those you admit will choose Williams.

Not so. If you were to admit based on test scores alone as suggested, what % admitted would attend?

Maybe 10%? 20%?

The analysis fails to mention the “small fact” that students have a choice in this process. You could admit 1000 “perfect students” and matriculate none.

If Williams did as you suggest the scores would go down over time- not up.

Do you have any numbers for how many AR1s admitted choose another school?

Of the “hundreds rejected” how many do you think would go elsewhere? I bet the admissions department has a good idea that many of those with perfect/ the best scores they reject do not have Williams as their #1 choice… it’s probably a reason they are not admitted.